Jerab's Market

175 Washington Road, June 2023.

Historical Overview

A two-story building with pizza restaurant on the bottom and apartments up top stands at 175 Washington Road. This building - originally called the "Penns Neck Food Market" has served many purposes over its life as  a commercial building and is a longtime landmark of the historic West Windsor community of Penns Neck.

In September of 1936, Joseph Jerab, already serving as a grocer in Penns Neck, petitioned West Windsor Township to let him build a slaughterhouse here but was rejected by the New Jersey State Board of Health after public outcry. So, the following month, he - and the Tucillo family of Trenton, NJ, opened this newly-built structure as a store and butcher's shop instead.[1],[2],[3]

Jerab's Market, circa 1938. From Jane Swift.

Jerab's story was a family business, and was also run by his wife - Jennie (who, like him, was a Jewish Czechoslovakian immigrant) - with help from their children - Jane and Frank.[4],[5] In fact, Jennie managed the store during the day while Joseph worked as a butcher in Trenton. They sold meat, vegetables, and canned goods to the surrounding agricultural community. The store featured three apartments upstairs and living quarters for the store-owners in the back. The business is said to have operated seven days a week, from early in the morning until 10 or 11 PM, and the Jerabs imposed a strong work ethic on their children. They also hired Frank Danley to work in the kitchen; he would eventually become a short-order cook at the nearby Princeton Grill. This was later moved and turned into the Clarksville Diner, sitting next to the Clarksville Motel (which the Jerabs also built) in the historic village of Clarksville.[6]

​In 1946, the Jerabs (real surname: Jerabek) sold the property to Aaron and Libby Walkin.[7] By 1955, the business was called the "Penns Neck Food Center and the business also sold cosmetics, toys, stationary, and more.[8] At some point in the mid-century, it passed to new management under Isadore ("Izzy") Straussfogel.[9],[10]

Jerab family, circa 1938, from Jane Swift.

Following Izzy in proprietorship was the Chen family. Per Bernice Chen, a family member:  "In 1973 the Chens, a multigenerational extended family of immigrants from Taiwan, bought the store from Izzy when he retired after many years. The store continued to sell groceries including meat, deli, dairy, produce, bread, frozen foods, canned and dry goods. By then Acme supermarket had opened a mile away, so most customers were train commuters stopping by for convenience items such as snacks, candy, cigarettes, newspapers and magazines. Jeffrey and Yoko Chen rented the store space and living quarters in the back and resided there with their two young children. They ran the store from 6am to 12 midnight, 7 days a week. Jeffrey butchered meats and made customer deliveries and trips to Trenton to restock while Yoko tended the store with baby in tow. Yoko also made Chinese prepared foods (egg rolls, wontons, dumplings, smoked chickens) while Jeffrey brought in Chinese produce and ingredients from lower Manhattan Chinatown. They would later open Golden Mushrooms Oriental Food and Yoko's Kitchen on Nassau Street in Princeton. In 1978 they sold [the store]. (In the photo, Jeffrey is standing at the top of the stairs and Yoko is in the yellow shirt.)"[11]

Chen family & store, 1976. From Bernice Chen.

​Thereafter, the store turned into "Anne's Family Deli," specializing in Greek foods.[12] In 1985, it turned into "Mrs. Pasta & Deli,"[13] which by 1994, had been succeeded by Domaine Catering & Delicatessen.[14] Finally, by the late 1990s, the building had become a Papa Johns pizza joint.[15]

Despite its many identities, and its plain stucco façade being replaced by a faux stone veneer, the building still stands, at the time of this writing (2026), as a longtime contributing element to historic Penns Neck.

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Bibliography

1. Swift, Jane (Jerab). Princeton, New Jersey: 172 Carter Road, n.d. Letter/Postcard in the archives of the Historical Society of West Windsor at the West Windsor History Museum. Describes the early history of the building at 175 Washington Road in West Windsor, NJ, 08550. Presumably written to the Historical Society.
2. "84 Sign Petition in Protest Against Construction of Slaughter-House." Local Express. September 10, 1936. 
3. "Residents Win In Long Battle Against Plant." Trenton Sunday Times-Advertiser. October 18, 1936.
4. "Last route to Clarksville." Princeton Packet. March 18, 1997.
5. Swift, Jane (Jerab). Princeton, New Jersey: 172 Carter Road, n.d. Letter/Postcard in the archives of the Historical Society of West Windsor at the West Windsor History Museum. Describes the early history of the building at 175 Washington Road in West Windsor, NJ, 08550. Presumably written to the Historical Society.
6. "Last route to Clarksville." Princeton Packet. March 18, 1997.
7. Palumbo, Angelo, Salkin, Aaron, and Salkin, Libby. "Deed.” West Windsor, 1972. Located in the Mercer County Clerk's Office, Mercer County Deed Book 1923, Page 197.
8. J. T. Yeager, Auctioneer. “Public Auction.” Town Topics. Princeton, NJ, March 27, 1955.
9. ​Penns Neck Food Mart. “Penns Neck Food Mart.” Town Topics. Princeton, NJ, July 19, 1973.
10. Ligeti, Paul T. I., and Parris, David and Parris, Susan. Interview with Susan and David Parris. Personal, 2020. Note: Susan and David have lived in Penns Neck since the mid-1900s and have personally known many of the people who lived in the village.​
11. Chen, Bernice. Facebook comment by Bernice on July 28, 2026 in responnse to a post titled "WEST WINDSOR HISTORY, THEN & NOW: JERAB'S MARKET" by the Historical Society of West Windsor that had been posted on May 31, 2026. Comment made in the "West Windsor & Plainsboro - The Glory Days" Facebook group: www.facebook.com/groups/2425866877514164​.
12. Anne's Family Deli. “Anne's Family Deli” Town Topics. Princeton, NJ, May 24, 1978.
13. Mrs. Pasta & Deli. “Grand Opening.” Town Topics. Princeton, NJ, July 17, 1985.
14. Domaine Catering & Delicatessen. “Now Open.” Town Topics. Princeton, NJ, January 19, 1994.
15. Papa John's. “Better Ingredients. Better Pizza.” Daily Princetonian. Princeton, NJ, February 20, 1999.